Stash Chaos

It's utter chaos in my basement sewing area.

It occurred to me to take pictures but then I'd be embarrassed to have you see it right now.

Due to the influence of Kerry, (it's so easy to blame someone on the other side of the world) I made a rash decision to join Bonnie Hunter's latest mystery project called "Roll, Roll, Cotton Boll" (RRCB). I'm justifying participation as an attempt to reduce and organize my stash. Naturally.

My stash consists of 12 14 large bins of quilting cottons. To come up with Bonnie's suggested color scheme of neutrals, grass green, bubblegum pink and chocolate brown - it's easy to identify colors properly with examples, particularly of food items - I pretty much upended three fabric bins. At the bottom of every bin were old fabrics. They remember our children... who once lived here and were in school... elementary school.

Bonnie sets a good example. As she works with her fabrics, she cuts leftover pieces into useable sizes - lots of strips - sorted into containers. Me? I cut what I need, fold it back up and return it to a bin... even if it's a small piece. Gosh, that little bit might be needed for an appliqued leave, or a nose, or a bellybutton. In hindsight, I wish I'd done it differently. 

So, for the past couple days I've gone underground, to my basement sewing area, where I've been weeding. Small pieces - pretty much anything that's 1/4 yard or less - are now in one bin, a heaped bin that's labeled "for stripping." These are I-don't-like-them-anymore pieces that will reappear in string-pieced quilts. I have quilts in mind to make from them.

First, "Picket Fence," as I first admired it on Mayleen's "Q is for Quilt!" blog. PF is from Elsie Campbell's book "String Quilts." To make it, assorted width strips need to be separated into three piles: light value, medium value, and dark value.

Second, "Architectural Gem," as seen in the current issue of McCall's Quilting magazine. This project uses 2-1/2"-wide strips.

With these reasons to strip-cut old fabrics, I think I must find a volunteer contingent of quilting strippers. (Doesn't that sound naughty?!)

I have a pretty ugly mess to work through.

But I did achieve my objective.

I chose RRCB fabrics - grass green, bubblegum pink and chocolate brown.

Isn't it interesting that when you go shopping in your stash, looking for specific ingredients, it's a surprise to learn you're lacking in a particular color? I thought I wouldn't have 15 pinks, and instead found I am really short on browns!

 Part 1 and Part 2 pieces are cut.

RRCB Part 3 is to string neutrals onto 8-1/2" X 8-1/2" telephone book pages. So far, I've strip-cut these neutrals. Then, Bonnie instructs us to make 60 - only 60!?  (HA!) blocks!

Well... it's a piece of cake. A walk in the park...a day at the beach.

Don't I wish.